MEDWAY - Work could start on the Rte. 109 reconstruction project as early as spring 2016.

Selectman Dennis Crowley, who is also chairman of the Rte. 109 Design Committee and a member of the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization, said 75 percent design plans were submitted to the state Department of Transportation in late February.

Also, funding for the $12.1 million project has been secured through state and federal funding - 20 percent from the state and 80 percent from federal money.

The estimated cost was previously reported to be $11.2 million, but Crowley said that estimate is about four years old. No additional improvements are being proposed - costs have just gone up.

The project includes 1.5 miles of renovations, including driving lanes, sidewalks, utility poles, traffic signals, streetlights and landscaping from the Highland Street intersection to the Holliston Street intersection.

Additionally, the reversible lane, or "suicide lane" on Rte. 109 in front of the Medway Plaza will be eliminated, Crowley said.

Also included in the project will be a new entrance to Choate Park directly off Rte. 109. Currently, the only entrance to the park is via Mechanic Street to Oak Street, the latter of which abuts Rte. 109.

The project proposes to create an entrance onto Oak Street from Rte. 109, which previously exited. However, a guardrail blocking off the entrance was installed decades ago because of westbound vehicles entering at a high rate of speed.

Instead, a short access road will be constructed from Rte. 109 further down Oak Street, requiring westbound vehicles to make a 90-degree turn into the entrance instead of a slight right turn.

MassDOT is currently reviewing the 75 percent plans, and officials are expected to return comments and suggestions to the engineering firm designing the project, Greenman-Pedersen, within a few months, Crowley said.

Crowley said the Rte. 109 Design Committee and Greenman-Pedersen hope to submit the final design plans by the end of 2014, with the hope that MassDOT approves the project by March 2015.

Crowley added that he is surprised with the number of details "going in to upgrade the aesthetics" of the area being reconstructed.

"It’s not just a road upgrade," he said. "It’s the beautification of the Rte. 109 area as well."

Zachary Comeau can be reached at 508-634-7556 and zcomeau@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @ZComeau_MDN.